A swollen Ganga has forced the release of enormous amounts of water from dams in Uttarakhand and thrown towns and cities into danger.

Hundreds of people have been left marooned in the pilgrimage centres of Rishikesh and Haridwar. Many low lying areas are out of bounds. A high alert has been sounded and schools closed.

Har Ki Pauri, the most sacred of the ghats, is submerged as the river is flowing way above the danger mark. More than 60 villages have been swept away in the region. Efforts are on to evacuate the low lying areas with the help of the army and the National Disaster Relief Force.

Authorities had to open the gates of the Tehri Dam to release excess water. With the rains relenting a bit, the pressure on the dam has been reduced a bit. The meteorological department has, however, warned that rains could continue for the next two days.

The maintenance of the Upper Ganga Canal is turning out to be a challenge with water flowing out into the roads.

Uttarakhand's capital Dehradun too is already battling the floods. Rising water has entered homes in the low lying areas. Several trains have been cancelled because of the submergence of tracks between Haridwar and Dehradun.

In Nainital district, roads have caved in and houses damaged due to incessant rains. Access to the hill station of Nainital has been hit because of a major landslide.

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